Transmission



Mug; 2@, l9%4& J58. ALSPAUGH TRANSMISSION Filed Aug 14, 19445 v 5r; V

IN VEN TOR.

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BY I

Patented Aug. 20, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i TRANSMISSION James Shellenbarger Alspaugh, Portsmouth, Ohio Application August 14, 1944, Serial No. 549,342

2 Claims.

This invention relates to transmissions and more particularly to a mechanical device for transmitting power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft in such a manner that the speed and torque ratios of the driven shaft relative to the driving shaft are dependent on the ratios of the power applied to the driving shaft with reference to the load to which the driven shaft is subjected.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide a mechanical transmission having driving and driven shafts interconnected by mechanical gearing adapted to be controlled or locked in such a manner that the ratios of speed and torque may vary in proportion to variations of the power and speed ratios of the driving anddriven shafts.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical gear transmission having a sun gear carrier interposed between and inter-- connecting driving and driven shafts through planetary gearing in such a manner that the sun gear carrier or the planetary gearing may be locked against rotation or controlled as to rotational speed to vary the sp ed and torque ratio of the transmission of power from the driving shaftto the driven shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a transmission having spaced selectively operable gear members to vary the torque and speed ratios of the transmission of power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft.

Still another object resides in the provision of a transmission having gear-connected shafts wherein means are provided for controlling the speed of rotation of gear carriers and gears to vary the power transmitting characteristics of the transmission.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a simple yet rugged mechanical gear transmission for efliciently transferring power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft in accordance with variations of load between the driving and driven shafts to provide an eflicient mechanical gear transmission.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, submitted for purposes of illustration only, and not intended to define the scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subjoined claims. T In the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views: A

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional fview of a transmission embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on a somewhat reduced scale, taken substantially'on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Beforeexplaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is-capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

Also it is to be understood that the phraseol'ogy or terminology employed herein is for the pur-.

pose of description and not of limitation.

A power shaft l0 adapted to be driven by any suitable source of power is connected through a clutching mechanism [2 with a driving shaft l4 journalled therein as by means of a pilot I6. The driving shaft 14 is also aligned with a driven shaft I8. journalled therein by the pilot as i]- lustrated at 2B.

The clutchin mechanism l2 consists of a sleeve 22 having internal splines'to engage external splines 24 and 26 formed in the power and driving shafts It and [4 respectively. The,

splines 24 on the power shaft l0 are of'sufficient length to accommodate the entire sleeve 22 thereby completely disengaging the splines 26 on the driving shaft I4.

The sleeve 22 has a groove 28 to receivefa yoke 30 slidably mounted on a rod 32 journalled in a boss 34 of the housing 35. The yoke 30 is actuated by a lever 38 pivoted on a projection 40 secured to the housing 36.

The driving shaft I4 is provided with a pinion gear 42 spaced aXially from a pinion gear '44 fixed to the driven shaft IS. A sun gear sleeve 46 having spaced sun gears 48 and. 50 is rotatably mounted on the driving shaft l4 between the pinion gear 42 fixed to the drivingshaft l4 and a radially extended flange. 52 also-formed on the driving shaft l4.

A planet carrier 54 having spaced flanges56 and 58 interconnected by suitable frame member 69 is mounted on the sun gear sleeve 46 and driven shaft I8 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The

planet carrying flange 58 is provided with an axially extended bushing 62 concentrically mounted on a surface 54 of the driven shaft I8 between a flange 66 and the pinion gear 54 fixed to the driven shaft I 8.

Spaced stabilizing members formed of spaced shoes 68 positioned in radially extended slots in the driven shaft I8 are yieldingly urged outwardly by a. spring to yieldingly' engagethe inner with the pinion 86 to rotate planet carrier'54. Rotation of this planet carrier 54 is effective surface-*ofthe bushing '52 to exert a slight frictional force thereon to damp out oscillations and fluctuations of the drive.

Pinion carriers I2. and 14 having spaced trunnions IE-I8 and 80-82 respectively are rotatably mounted in the flanges 56 and 53. The carrier I2 is provided with spaced pinion gears v 84 and 86 adapted to mesh with the pinion gear 42 fixed to the driving shaft [4 and to the. sun gear,

to vary the torque and speed ratios of the drive .-.from1the,-drivingshaft I4 to the driven shaft l8.

.-Any suitable 1: braking mechanism may beem- ,ployed to control thespeed of, or to lock the sun gearl'sleeve or planetcarrier. 'One desirable form V .of-such-braking means includes the rock shaft 92 journalled in'spaced bosses 94 and 96 of the frame ..36 and actuated bya convenientlylocated lever sleeve-46 or the planet carrier 54 against-rotation 98. :'I'1 1e' shaf-t' 92 is'provided with spacedcarins I -IIlll-and I 02.having actuating portions I84 and --I06=adapted to engage: gear members. I58 and HILcarried by the p1anet-carrier 54 and sun-gear sleeve respectively to selectively lock the planet-carrier 54.-or the :sungear sleeve 45 against rotation to, effect the desired variation of .the speed and torque transmitting characteristicsof the dev1ce.

The operation of thisrdevice is as follows: When the lever 98 is;in the neutral position with the eactuatingportions IMand Hitv out of engagement With'thegears- I08 and I I0, power applied to the driving shaft I4 istra-nsmitted through the pinion -gear. 42--to'rotate the pinion gear carried by the pinion carrier 12 of the planet carrier. 54. Rota- :tion of thepiniongear; 841s, transmitted through the; pinion gear: .86- to rotate :the sun; gear sleeve -.-46 concentricallymounted-on the drivingshaft Hi. If a'fhigngear. ration-is desired,;the.lever '98 is aactuated' itozmove the contacting portion I84 of ithe'arm :I I30. mtoengagement Withthe inion I08 to lock the planet carrier -54;against rotation. Rotation of the driving shaft I4 is .then effective I through ithe pinion 1'42 to rotate the .pinion 84 .fixedltoitheminion" carrier 'IiZxabOut its trunnions 15.22.1161 18. E Rotation .ofthe pinion carrier l2.1is

.1driving;shaft fI4. Rotation of the sun .gearsleeve 46 :18.: effective through. the sun ear. 50 to rotate .the; pinion 88.:fixedto the pinion carrier l'journalledinz: the trunnionstil and.82. As this pinion :carrier I4 rotates'itb'drives thedriven shaft 18 ithroughztheapinion {gears '90 and 44 at a high :gearratio. r

If a lower gear ratio is desired; the lever. 98 is aact-uatediinthe. opposite direction to movethe ucontacton portion' I 06 of thearm I52 into engage- I:ment:withrthe:pinion; I'I2Il to1ock the sun gear through thepinion meshing with the pinion 44 fixed to the driven shaft I-8 to-rotate the driven shaft at a lower gear ratio. r

The gear ratios 'of the various drives can be varied through wide limits by changing the sizes of the mating gears to provide any desired gear ratio for a particular application.

Braking means of any convenient type may be provided to control the speed of rotation of the .planet carrier 54 or the sun gear sleeve 46 to permit progressively varying the gear ratios in either direction. The braking means may be of any desired type such for example as of the friction type whereinthe pinion gears I88 and i Illare replaced with smooth metallic brake drums or'flanges,and the lever 98 is operable to actuate contracting brake bands to engage the brake drums to control the speed of rotation of the planet or sun gear carriers. When this expedient is resorted to, virtually any desired gear ratio can be established and maintained between the driving; and driven shafts, and the ratio may readily be varied Whenever necessary to carry the load to which the driven shaft is subjected by the power applied to the driving shaft. 7 -I claim I v V -l. A transmission comprising driving and driven shafts having axially spaced pinion gears, a sungear sleeverotatably mounted on the driving shaft and having two axially spaced sun gears of different diameters, a j planet pinion carrier concentrically mounted on the driving and driven shafts, -a shaft journalledin the planet pinion carrier, axially spaced pinion gears of different diameters fixedto-said shaft and connecting the driving shaft pinion with one of the sun gears I ,.of the sun gear sleeve. a second. shaftjournalled in theplanet pinioncarrier, axiallyspaced pinion gears ofdifferent diameters fixed to;said second 7 shaft :and interconnecting the other :of. said sun gears carriedby the sun gearisleeve With'the driven shaft pinion, andmeans toselectively lock thesun gear sleeve or'the planet pinion carrier .shaft, connecting means between the driving eeffectiveithroughiheipinion186 engaging the sun" gear 48 to rotate the sun' gear sleeve. about the shaft pinion and one of the sun gears of the sun gear sleeve including pinion gears ofdifferent diameters, journalledinlthe planet pinion carrier, connecting means between the driven shaft pinionand the other ofithesun gears of the sun gear sleeve including .pinion gears of diiferentdiame- :ters journalled infthe planetpinion carrier, and manually operable. means to'selectively lock the .planet pinion carrier .er. the sun -;gear sleeve 

